"Shifty" An independent british thriller

Shifty is a British film that was made in 2008 under the microwave scheme that was funded by the Uk film council which was later replaced by the BFI. The aim of the scheme was to provide young London film makers with a platform to make a small independent film.

The rules of the microwave scheme were that the film had to be made in18 days and with a budget of less than £100,000. Shifty opened in 51 independent cinemas such as Curzon Chain and on its opening weekend took £61,000. The film box office takings were £143,000. Most of the films profits came from DVD and television sales.  Shifty was distributed by Metrodome. £50,000 was spent on making celluloid prints of the film, administration and advertising. The intention was to attract two different audiences. The first audience was the middle class age range that regularly sees small independent films at the independent cinemas. In addition they wanted to attract a new younger urban audience. This audience had made "Kidulthood" and "Adulthood" profitable.

In order to target both audiences, Metrodome produced different trailers. Interestingly the trailer targeting the younger urban audience had a soundtrcak of hip hop. However in the actual movie there was no soundtrack.

Continuity Editing

Retains a sense of realistic chronology and generates the feeling that time is moving forward. May use flashbacks or flash forwards but the narrative will still be be seen to be progressing forward in an expected or realistic way.

Eye-Line match
We see a character looking at something of screen and then we cut to a short clip of what they are looking at.


Match on action
We see a character start an action in one short shot and then see them continue it in the next scene.


Graphic match
When two shots are linked with a similar shape or composition of an image. The film maker can choose to a place shots in a certain order so as to create a smooth visual transfer from one frame to the next. When two consecutive shots are matched in terms of the way they look.


180 degree rule

The 180 degree rule is a basic guideline that states that two characters in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary line connecting the two subjects it is called crossing the line.



Shot/reverse shot to show an argument or a conversation between two people

Lighting - Film Noir

Film Noir is the term given by french film critics to a group of films made in HollyWood from 1941 to 1958. These films are characterised by their pessimistic, dark themes that show the darker side of human nature. They filmed using low-key lighting top give the films a hard, sharp look with strong areas of contrast between light and dark.
Examples of these types of films are 'The big combo'


In this scene from 'The big combo' the characters faces are not properly shown and the shadows are very present as they are all over the room. This is because a lot of low-key light is used as in that stage of films and that era America made a lot of low budget films and they all had the same type of atmosphere and low-key lighting. Also they had the same type of genre of film as most of them were crime based.

 Film Noir can also be used in modern day colour films. The example i am using is 'Se7en' which was made in 1995 and the main actors are Bradd Pitt and Morgan Freeman. This film is about a serial killer, killing people depending on the 7 deadly sins.

Source Code

Ropes

Ropes

 Rope is a psychological thriller. It was adapted from Patrick Hamilton's play which appeared in 1929. The play was based upon the real life murderers Leopold and Loeb who killed an innocent man to see how it felt. The case became very famous in America. It was linked to the ideas of Nietzsche's and his motion of 'Superman' a morally superior being. Nietzsche's ideas influenced Hitler and the rise of the Nazis

Hitchcock Ideas

This film was made in 1948 and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.  The unique thing about this film was the editing. Hitchcock wanted to film the story as one long continuous take so that it was like the audience was in the action. However to the modern audience it seems chunky as Hitchcock has to compromise and had to make 10 minute rolls

As Hitchcock was using these editing techniques it created a feeling of claustrophobia.  The actors and the audience are both trapped in the film. The trunk with the body in is present throughout the film which creates more tension.  Another fascinating element to the film is the way homosexuality is portrayed. The strict censorship of the 1920s means that the subject could be implied but not can not be openly stated. "Claustrophobia means extreme or irrational fear of confined places".

Thriller devices
Suspense is created throughout the film as e constantly wait for the trunk to be opened up and for the body to be discovered.

Cliff hangers are present because at the end of the film we are wondering will Rupert be killed by Brandon and Phillip.

Colour and Lighting

The first use of colour was seen in 1904 by the pioneer George.  The next development was the introduction of two strip technicolor using only red and green. The first time was the Mystery of the wax museum which was made in 1933. The first full three strip technicolor was Becky Sharp which was made in 1935. From the 1930s' to 1940s' black and white represented fantasy and spectacle. Today the opposite is true. Extract is Wizard of Oz

Denotation and Connotation

Denotation means: The literal description of an idea, concept or object. A particular wavelength of the electromagnetic system.
Connotation means: What we associate with a particular idea, concept or object e.g. anger, blood and romance


For example different colours can mean a lot of things in a movie for example:

Red

• Embarrassment
• Anger
• Danger
• Blood
• Romance
• Hot tap
• Stop

Blue

• Tranquility
• Sad
• Cold
• Calm
• Death

Green

• Peace
• Nature
• Go
• Sick
• Tranquility

Lighting

A standard lighting set-up

                                                   Backlight

                                                      

                                                       Subject

                               Reflector                               Key light

                                                     Camera

• The key light is the brightest and most influential
• The back light helps counteract the effect of the key light or creates an outline or silhouette
• The reflector light helps to soften the harsh shadows that the use of key and back light creates
• Under lighting is when the main source comes from below the subject used in thrillers and horror
• Top lighting is when the main source of lighting comes above, highlighting the features used to create a glamorous look
• Low-key lighting is created by using only the key and back lights. This will produce a sharp contrast of light and dark areas on the screen as very deep, distinct shadows are formed
• High-key is when more fillers are used and the lighting appears realistic

Thriller opening scenarios

Facial expressions

This is the mis-en-scene and this is french for "in the scene or frame". A mis-en-scene could mean anything from costume,props, facial expressions and body language. Dez was portraying anger by throwing the chair to show her frustration. Stefan was disappointed so he was looking out the window. Patrick was relaxing so he put his legs up. Tyler was excited so he was put up his thumbs to show he is doing alright. Tyler is upset so he was wiping away his tears from his eyes. Tyler was annoyed so he was making different facial expressions. Tyler was thinking so he was lost in space. Tyler was tired and exhausted so he was laying on the table.

Sound Exercise

Diegetic/ Non-Diegetic

Diegetic: Refers to the world of the text  e.g. dialogue, sound effects

Non-Diegetic: Refers to everything outside the world of the text e.g. voice overs, soundtrack captions and titles, subtitles

On-screen sound: The audience cant see the source the sound

off-screen sound: Sound enables the extensions of diegetic world

Parallel sound matches the action

Contrapuntal sound does not match the action

Sound bridge

A sound bridge helps create a smooth transition between one scene to another

Pleonastic sound

Pleonastic is exaggerated sound or a tap dripping more loudly than normal in a horror film

Ambient sound

Ambient sound refers to the background sounds which are present in scene or location e.g. wind, water, birds and crowds. Ambient sound is very important in video and film work. It performs a number of functions including:

• Providing audio continuity between shots 
• Establishing or reinforcing the mood 
• Preventing an unnatural silence when no other sound is present  

Matching sound: Any ambient sound recorded to match the sound of a scene 

Wild scene: children playing in a playground. Background noise with distinct sounds 

Buzz track: A general term for ambient sound 

Room tone: The sound of an empty room, or a room in which all the actors are standing silently.

Camera techniques exercise evaluation

We done this work so we could show the different camera angles. Some of the camera angles that we done were:

The story of this was that Stefan was getting chased by Patrick and Stefan injured himself in the process. This led to Stefan falling over and patrick punching him out and Stefan waking up on the bench without any memory of what happened. Alexandra found Stefan and checked on him

• Long shot

• Medium shot 

• Close up 

• Point of view 

• High angle 

• Low angle 

• Extreme close up 

Psycho

Psycho



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG3-GlvKPcg

Background
This movie has two halves. In the first half we see Marion Crane steal money and flee to be with her adulterous lover. She is murdered half way through the film which shocks all the audience. The second half is about Norman Bates trying to cover up the killing committed by his so called 'mother'.  Hitchcock use the device of a McGuffin is the stolen money. The end of the film Hitchcock appeared on screen and asked the audience not to give the ending away .

Analysis of Shower scene
The shower scene is one of the most famous scenes in cinema history. There is very fast editing and the discordant soundtrack by Bernard Hermann echoes the knife entering the body. In 1960 the scene was shocking and Janet Leigh the actress claims never to have had a shower.
This infamous scene rivets the viewers with guilty glimpses that reveal nothing, though many viewers may think recall differently, further exemplifying Hitchcock's brilliance for audience manipulation. This scene also horrifies with its brutal stabbing which is seemingly viewed from the killers point of view.

Thrillers
In this thriller there is no hero. Thrillers are usually villain driven plots. Norman bates is the central character for the second half of the film. He is unusual villain in that he appears so normal and likable.
Thrillers have specific devices such as:
Suspense: Marion Crane buys the car with the police watching
Red herring: We think Norman mum is the killer
Cliff Hangers: Is Marion sister going to get killed in the basement at the end?

Alfred Hitchcock
This film was made in 1960 and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. As often happens in Hitchcock's films there is a blonde woman. Hitchcock chose blonde woman (Janet Leigh in this film) to be victims in his films because they look more innocent and any blood or danger seems worse when happening to them. In this film Marion Crane is brutally murdered.